Many questions will be answered when the NBA Playoffs tip off Saturday.
Do the New York Knicks even have a shot?
Is a Miami Heat-Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Finals inevitable?
Do the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and/or Boston Celtics have enough juice left to make one final run?
How quickly will the Orlando Magic wither away amid all the turmoil and without Dwight Howard?
Despite having other stars, the Lakers will only go as far as Kobe Bryant takes them
A third place Western Conference finish may hide it, but it's been an odd year for the Lakers.
The offense under new head coach Mike Brown has struggled at times, with the most glaring statistic being that Kobe has taken it upon himself to take over games. His field goal attempts per game and usage rate numbers compare with LA's lean years shortly after Shaq left town and there was no one around to help Kobe.
It's surprising because Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are still on this team, yet Kobe's play shows he doesn't trust them all that much.
Chicago can beat Miami without a fully healthy Derrick Rose
The first two rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs are a mere formality to get us ready for Bulls-Heat in the conference finals.
Derrick Rose's health is a big question, but Chicago already beat Miami sans Rose earlier this season. Yes, they lost the other time Rose was absent, but the point is Chicago won't go quietly into the night if Rose can't go at 100 percent.
No one wants to face the winner of the Clippers-Grizzlies series
LA's other team was a trendy preseason NBA Finals pick, but the Clippers haven't exactly wowed anyone for most of this season.
As for the Grizzlies, they've slowly and quietly climbed up the Western Conference ladder this season after shocking everyone and almost making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last year.
Now both the Clips and Grizz are clicking on all cylinders and look primed for deep playoff runs.
The winner will in all likelihood draw the Spurs in the second round and use their youth and depth to make it very hard for San Antonio to advance.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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